Pluto's fate is balanced on a knife edge

作者：双蝼 发布时间：2019-02-26 01:05:09

By Stephen Battersby, Prague This afternoon, at around 1300 GMT, astronomers will finally vote on the definition of “planet”. The resolutions they will vote on have been hammered out during a series of often troubled meetings. More specifically, Pluto’s status will depend on whether members of the International Astronomical Union vote for resolution 5A or 5B. If the distinction is made between “planet” and “dwarf planet”, Pluto will be effectively demoted. If instead the distinction is made between “classical planet” and “dwarf planet”, Pluto’s status remains open. This is because in the latter case there will still be no unequivocal definition of the word “planet” so Pluto and the other dwarfs might be considered planets too. There could just possibly be a late change to the wording. At 0830 GMT, a large group of astronomers invaded the press room waving a piece of paper bearing the word “Planetino”, which they propose as an alternative to dwarf planet. But the executive are unlikely to accept the change,